Caroline: Homer Glen tutor

Certified Tutor

I have a Master's degree from UNICAMP in Applied Linguistics, and a Bachelor's degree in Literature, Linguistics and Language from the same university.
I tutor English as a Second Language; Portuguese as a Second Language; Writing and Reading skills; TOEFL and other language proficiency exams preparation.

Since I was a child, I have had the dream of speaking another language, traveling abroad, and exploring the worlddiscovering new cultures and meeting new people. I never thought this would be possible because I only spoke my native language. However, once I learned English, I was able to accomplish my dream. Nowadays, I live in the US and have a job here. It's easy for me to do whatever I want and need without the language barrier.
That's why I teach English. I want my students to also be able to accomplish their dreams, no matter what they are.
My short-term goal is to provide what is necessary for my students to pursue their objectives, such as helping them get a good grade in a particular exam. But my long-term goal is to help them achieve freedom. The feeling of being able to do whatever you want, wherever you want to go, is something that everybody should experience. And that's what I want for my students. I want them to be free.
I like to use different techniques; I adapt them depending on the objectives and the group of students that I have at the moment. Therefore, I strive to really get to know my students to plan a lesson that makes sense for them. Some things I always do, regardless of the class, include applying the 80/20 rule because I believe it's crucial for students to practice as much as possible. Additionally, I consistently use teacher talk and warm and humorous language to engage and motivate students.
In my classes, I initiate conversations with the students, asking about their day and how they are doing, to capture their attention. Then, I proceed with a warm-up activity to recall information from previous classes and introduce what are the objectives of the day. I focus on building relationships with my students and maintaining a fun environment to prevent fatigue and keep them motivated. Consequently, I frequently integrate music, TV shows, and games into the warm-up. When explaining concepts, I provide numerous examples aligned with their reality, use metaphors, utilize the board, encourage questions from students, and also quiz them during explanations to ensure comprehension. I employ group work, distribute handouts, and incorporate games.